


A Bit of Tin

by ameanstoanendor



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Universe, Gen, I love Domino Squad so much but everything that happens to them makes me so sad, One Shot, Post-Episode: s07e04 Unfinished Business, Pre-Order 66 (Star Wars), Reminiscing, This isn’t angst but it isn’t hurt/comfort either, there that’s the tag for it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29456088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ameanstoanendor/pseuds/ameanstoanendor
Summary: Echo notices a familiar medal on display in the Bad Batch’s ship and asks them about it. It leads to a conversation about their old batchmates.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 43





	A Bit of Tin

Echo had been traveling and doing missions with the Bad Batch for about a month now. He and the rest of the Batch were still somewhat awkward around each other, as it was difficult to find common ground with each other and their different experiences. After all, Echo had once been a ‘reg,’ and while he was used to the reckless plans of the 501st, the Bad Batch was reckless on a whole different level. 

Echo had been obsessed with reading reg manuals, after all, and was used to sticking to them as closely as he could. Eventually, his need to follow them to the exact word had relaxed, but now that he was back and was... as changed as he was, all he wanted was a sense of normalcy and routine. This was somewhat difficult to find with the Bad Batch.

Still, things did seem to be settling down with them. Crosshair had stopped condescendingly calling him ‘reg,’ all the time (although that hadn’t gone away completely) and Wrecker had learned to be a little gentler around him (he was still a bit too skinny, unfortunately, but at least his tan had come back). Tech had eventually stopped trying to upgrade his cybernetics everyday and learned to give him some space. He liked Hunter the best, though, because his steadfast attitude and aura of leadership reminded him of Rex. However, they still didn’t quite feel like  brothers to Echo, yet, and he knew they felt the same towards him.

Being in close quarters with a group of four other clones made Echo reminiscent of Domino Squad, though. They couldn’t work well together for almost the entirety of their training on Kamino and had constantly been at each other’s throats. They had figured it out, eventually, and eventually they worked together as though they were a well-oiled machine, like pieces of a puzzle always meant to fit together. Echo was holding out faith that things would fit in place that same way with the Bad Batch.

It was a lazy morning, as they’d just completed a mission the day before and were taking part of a well-deserved rest. Echo was the last to get up, relishing in the feeling of being able to actually  _sleep_ , rather than being in a state of vague awareness like he had been on Skako Minor. 

The Bad Batch was seated in the kitchen of the  _Havoc Marauder_ talking amongst themselves. Wrecker was loudly recounting an amazing feat he pulled the day prior, greatly embellishing the details. Only Echo had been around to see it, and it wasn’t nearly as impressive as Wrecker was making it out to be. Echo smirked to himself as he took his seat and served himself up some breakfast and caf.He wasn’t about to correct Wrecker’s story, but Hunter glanced at him and read his expression easily enough.

“Wrecker, quit exaggerating,” Hunter said with a stifled sigh. 

“I’m  _not_ exaggerating!” Wrecker whined, glancing at Echo and winking. He thought he was being discreet, but the rest of the Batch clearly saw him. Crosshair immediately began attacking him for it, and Wrecker pouted to himself. Tech interjected, then, saying that it was against the laws of physics for Wrecker to do what he claimed he had done, anyways.

Echo chuckled at their antics, remembering some of the times on Rishi with Domino and later, some of the arguments he and Fives would get into when they were with Torrent Company. 

Echo diverted his attention away from the four of them and gazed around the small kitchen, taking in his surroundings. His attention fell to the old medal they had displayed on the wall. It looked exactly like one of the ones he and the rest of Domino had been given after passing the Citadel test. He’d seen it in here before, of course, but he’d never asked about where they got it. At first, he figured that maybe they’d taken that test, too, but it became abundantly clear the longer he spent with them that their training had been very different from the rest of the ‘regs.’ 

Their conversation (or, the antagonizing of Wrecker) seemed to be finishing, so Echo worked up the courage and asked, “Hey, if you don’t mind my asking, where’d you guys get that medal?”

The Batch went quiet and exchanged solemn expressions, and Echo mentally kicked himself for being so tactless. 

“Sorry, if it’s a sore topic, you don’t have to answer,” Echo said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his cybernetic arm. 

“No, it’s fine,” Hunter said before any of the other Batchers could reply, glaring pointedly at Crosshair. Crosshair scowled at the ground and Tech rested a supportive hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t know if you knew 99 when you were on Kamino, but he was one of our batchmates. Always looked out for us,” Hunter began, “He was killed during the Battle of Kamino, and for some reason, he had this medal on him. We don’t know where he got it, but Commander Cody gave it to us afterwards to remember him by.” Wrecker looked like a puppy who’d been kicked during Hunter’s explanation, and the other Batchers didn’t look much happier.

Echo nodded slowly and said, “Well, I think I can tell you where he got that medal from.”

The Batchers looked at him in curiosity and confusion and waited for him to continue.

“My old squad-mate, Hevy, gave it to him after we passed the Citadel test and graduated from our training,” Echo explained, “99 really brought us together. We wouldn’t have passed if he hadn’t encouraged us constantly. We  _didn’t_ pass the first time, actually.” 

“You were in Domino Squad?” Tech asked in surprise, the other Batchers looking equally intrigued. 

It was Echo’s turn to be confused, “Uh, yeah. How do you know about us?”

“99 told us about you guys once,” Crosshair said, staring at the table rather than making eye contact with Echo, “He was proud of you guys. He didn’t tell us about Hevy and the medal, though.”

Echo smiled to himself slightly, “99 was a good brother and  _soldier_ ,” he sobered his expression, “I was... I was there when he died. I  _held_ him.”

The Bad Batch all stared at him again, eyes wide and sorrowful. 

He took a deep breath and continued, “He died bravely and like a real soldier, just like he always said he was. Died protecting some young Cadets and the barracks.”

“It’s how he wanted to go,” Hunter said quietly. The rest of them all nodded in solemn agreement. 

Echo stared at the medal again and nodded to himself, “Fitting that the medal should end up with you guys, and I should end up with you as well.”

“What do you mean?” Tech asked.

“It belonged to a Domino, and I’m the last Domino standing, but it also belonged to a Bad Batcher, and it’s here with you guys,” Echo replied, “It’s like all of this was always supposed to happen. I bet General Kenobi would’ve called it ‘the will of the Force.’” He said the last sentence mostly for himself, smiling slightly. 

“What happened to the rest of Domino?” Asked Crosshair. Echo was surprised at first that he was the one asking, considering his adverseness towards the ‘reg’ clones, but Echo figured that he was somewhat bitter about being asked about 99 and decided to indulge him.

“Most of them died on the Rishi moon outpost. Droidbait was ambushed by commando droids, Cutup was eaten by a giant eel, and Hevy sacrificed himself to blow up the base and turn off the all-clear signal so the Republic would know something was wrong. Then it was just Fives and I for awhile in the 501st. After the Battle of Kamino, we got promoted to ARC troopers, and we worked with each other until the Citadel rescue mission,” He paused for a moment and felt needlessly self-conscious about all of his modifications from the Techno Union.

“Then, apparently Fives was killed just a month or two before I was rescued by you guys. Rex told me the story and it’s... it’s a long one,” Echo replied, “Apparently he caught some virus and went insane. Attacked the Chancellor, even. Got shot by Commander Fox of the Coruscant Guard. I don’t know if I believe all the stuff Fives allegedly did, but I wasn’t there, so I wouldn’t know otherwise.”

“We’re sorry, Echo,” Hunter said, glaring at Crosshair again, “You’ve been through a lot.”

Echo shrugged nonchalantly, “Loss is expected in war.”

“Never makes it any easier, though,” Hunter countered, “You’ve got a place here with us, Echo.” 

“Yeah! We were down a member and you’re the last of your squad, so it kinda balances out! You were right, maybe it  _was_ always meant to be!” Wrecker added, his joyful demeanor lifting the mood of those around him. The other Batchers (even Crosshair, however quietly), all chorused in agreement.

The conversation was shifted onto lighter topics after that. Echo was content. It looked as though the puzzle pieces were all fitting into their places, now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Was the title inspired by a quote from 1917? Yes, yes it was, which is very on-brand for me, methinks.
> 
> I got inspired to write this after rewatching Clone Cadets, Rookies, and ARC Troopers. I blame lifeofclonewars on tumblr for all of her Domino Squad posts making me want to watch those episodes again. No regrets, though. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! I’m on tumblr at ameanstoanendor, come hit me up there!


End file.
